Sunday, October 4, 2009

"Vision in White" by Nora Roberts

Vision in White by Nora Roberts

Book One in the Bride Quartet

2009

Summary:

Mackensie Elliot and her three best friends formed a wedding planning business together named Vows. As children they used to play Wedding Day and stage weddings in Parker's backyard where they took turns playing bride, groom, minister, maid or honor and more. Years later as a team they have turned Parker's family home into both their home and their business. Mackensie's parents divorces when she was four and have both had more than one marriage since then. Her father is mostly absent in her life and her mother is very selfish and self-involved. Although she works as a wedding photographer, Mac does not believe that love and happily ever after is in the works for her until she is reintroduced to Carter Maguire a high school English teacher.

Thoughts:

I love how Nora Roberts is able to create dream jobs for her characters that make me wish I could try. When I read the In the Garden Trilogy I wanted to have a greenhouse and nursery even though I am terrible with plants, while this first book in the Bride Quartet made me think how fun it would be to plan a wedding even though my own wedding was in a chapel in Las Vegas. Maybe part of the yearning was because I never had a wedding dress, reception or any of the other bells and whistles that go with a formal ceremony. I really liked Mackensie and Carter, they were both very likable. I can't wait to see what Roberts has planned for the other three friends. The next installment in the series is set to be published in December of this year.

Prior to this year I had not really read much by Nora Roberts, but I have enjoyed the books I've selected to read so far this year. I loved the Circle Trilogy and the Sign of Seven Trilogy. I enjoyed the Key Trilogy and In the Garden Trilogy as well. One complaint I have is that some of her characters are starting to seem similar. Some of the mannerisms and even speech patterns feel like they are repeating, this could be because I read too many of her books in the past year. Had I spread them out more I might not have noticed it so much. That said, the book was enjoyable, the story felt authentic and believable and I would recommend it to other readers.